SNL Cast Crisis: Bill Hader Latest Big Name to Leave (VIDEO)

An SNL cast crisis has hit the show after several veteran members recently exited.

The popular comedy show has seen Kristin Wiig leave last year, and just last weekend Bill Hader also exited. Coming will also be the exit of Seth Meyers, who has been confirmed to take over from Jimmy Kimmel on the Late Night show. In addition, Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen have also been rumored to be leaving, meaning the show would have to begin completely from scratch next year.

However, some commentators have highlighted that the show always goes through cycles in relation to the celebrities it has on the program, and it has successfully come through major cast turnovers in the past.

Those looking on the positive side of things have suggested that the changes will freshen things up and keep viewers interested, and that if things remained static for too long, people would lose interest.

Variety has been one such magazine to believe this is the case, with the publication suggesting: "The prospect of losing at least four prominent cast members before 2013-14 might seem dire, but students of SNL history will note that past mass cast defections tend to be like forest fires: While the damage done is seemingly devastating, it actually has a counter intuitively restorative effect, clearing the way for future growth. And what's more, the seeds for the next generation of SNL already seem to be sprouting in the current cast."

Recently Jay Pharoah has already taken over the popular President Barack Obama character from Fred Armisen, and others such as Kate McKinnon and Bobby Moynihan have brought fans to fits of laughter with their new characters, especially the Ellen Degeneres impersonation and the Weekend Update's drunk uncle.

Throughout more than three decades on air, Saturday Night Live has received a number of awards, including 36 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards.

In 2000, it was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It was ranked tenth in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" list, and in 2007 it was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME."

As of 2012 it has received 156 Emmy nominations, the most in television history.